Should the Pats do to Vinatieri what the Broncos did to Elam?

[PatsFanSince74]

Absolutely not...

Not only did Vinatieri leave, but he left to go to the Colts despite a fair offer from the Patriots. In my mind Vinatieri is not a great Patriot the same way that guys like Bruschi and Harrison are.

If he goes into the Hall of Fame I hope he goes in as a Colt. He is nothing, but a trader who did some great things in his time here.

Now if you were talking about a guy like Mike Vrabel or Richard Seymour who were dealt away I would be all for it.

That's sad.

Without Adam Vinatieri's first Snow Bowl kick, there was no OT and without his OT kick the ball goes back to Oakland, for who knows what outcome.

Without his kicks as time expired in SB's XXXVI and XXXVIII, both games go to OT (as would perhaps SB XXXIX as well without his kicking).

So, you can make an argument that without Adam Vinatieri, there not only was no "dynasty," but there might well be only one or perhaps no Lombardi's in Foxboro.

Grow up. He's an adult who made a completely reasonable economic decision worth several million additional dollars to him, as has been detailed elsewhere in this thread. I would welcome him back and I hope the Pats retire his number, which is what he deserves.

 

[eagle eye]

I'm just hoping the guys who don't want him to retire a Patriot are just joking.

How anybody could remember his moving on for big money ahead of those clutch field goals is beyond me.

The guy is a Patriots legend.

 

[captain stone]

If he had gone to the man - Bill Parcells - who gave him his first job in the NFL as an undrafted rookie in 1996, and to the team - the Dallas Cowboys - who really needed a kicker at the same time (they signed Vanderjagoff as their consolation prize) and who had an owner who would be willing to pay him, then I would have had no problem whatsoever welcoming him back to Foxborough upon his retirement. None.

But he didn't do that. Instead, he signed with the team that was 31st out of the 31 other teams with whom we wanted him to sign. And I believe that he did it to screw Bill, and therefore us. He made it personal; he prob. felt "insulted" at the Pats' offer. Well, he's not the only one who felt insulted and who took it personally.

The name says it all: ViniTraitor. I vote No.

 

[SyN65]

Absolutely. Without Adam the dynasty may have never started.

People voting "no" are pathetic. He went to the Colts...get over it.

 

[zoostation]

if he ends up playing for a third team let him go back to indy and retire as a colt.

 

[jcdavey]

Both of these kickers could go into the HOF and both are just 2 years apart in age.

I think it was great what the Broncos did in signing Elam for 1 day and then retiring him as a Bronco.

I think the opportunity for New England to do the same,comes up in 2011 when Adam is 38

If the situation arizes and Adam is announcing retirement,do you want the Patriots to do what the Broncos just did?

[after all of his injuries the past 2 years or so,it could even happen this year]

it doesn't really matter at all ya know

nfl HOFers go into the HOF under the crest of all teams played for

this isn't baseball where they are represented by one team's logo

 

[DarrylS]

If he wants to do it, no problem.. he did a lot for this team.

 

[Patjew]

If he wants to do it, no problem.. he did a lot for this team.

That's where I am too. I was so friggin' shocked and hurt when he left. But I've gotten over it. There are much more important things to be concerned about, like water shortages, AIDS in Africa, and the signing of beasts.

 

[Steamer86]

He was a great Patriot, but this whole sign a one day contract to retire with your first team is ridiculous. You retire from the last team you played for. He is a Pat legend, but we don't need a phony-bologna one day contract ceremony to remember what he did for Pats. Are we going to do that with Seymour, Vrabel, Branch, Law........and all the others too? I don't blame him for leaving, but once he did, he made decision to play rest of career for team other than Pats and retire with another team. We can still honor him a couple years later with Adam Vinitieri bobble head day....

 

[TealSox]

Loyalty cuts both ways. Vinatieri was offered a reasonable amount of money to remain a Patriot, but bolted for bigger $$$ to our second-most-hated rival. Despite all he did for us, that's hard to forgive. I voted neutral; don't care strongly either way.

Yeah, I don't think the Patriots will offer as much as the Colts will in their "One Day" offer.... sucks to be outbid again by the Colts. I hope nothing around the stadium bears his likeness or refers to anything he did for the Patriots.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

If he had gone to the man - Bill Parcells - who gave him his first job in the NFL as an undrafted rookie in 1996, and to the team - the Dallas Cowboys - who really needed a kicker at the same time (they signed Vanderjagoff as their consolation prize) and who had an owner who would be willing to pay him, then I would have had no problem whatsoever welcoming him back to Foxborough upon his retirement. None.

But he didn't do that. Instead, he signed with the team that was 31st out of the 31 other teams with whom we wanted him to sign. And I believe that he did it to screw Bill, and therefore us. He made it personal; he prob. felt "insulted" at the Pats' offer. Well, he's not the only one who felt insulted and who took it personally.

The name says it all: ViniTraitor. I vote No.

He didn't go to Dallas because Parcell's had reason to believe he was not really available and having just made up with Lil' Bill he wasn't looking to poach his PK. Adam's opportunities in FA were intentionally or unintentionally impacted by the widespread perception that NE had every intention of retaining him. What no one knew was that there intention was in fact devoid of a long term deal with any guaranteed money... If anyone was getting screwed in the deal it was Adam.

I'm just hoping the guys who don't want him to retire a Patriot are just joking.

How anybody could remember his moving on for big money ahead of those clutch field goals is beyond me.

The guy is a Patriots legend.

Don't worry, their childish votes and rants don't matter since the only guy whose vote and opinion does realizes that and knows what he owes him.

 

[InRodWeRust]

No he's dead to me. Of all teams he went to our most hated rival. I understand he left for more money rather than stay with the Patriots. If that's what he cared about more than the Patriots then why would he want to retire a Patriot?

 

[signbabybrady]

No he's dead to me. Of all teams he went to our most hated rival. I understand he left for more money rather than stay with the Patriots. If that's what he cared about more than the Patriots then why would he want to retire a Patriot?

How many things do you care about that you would quit on over millions of dollars?

 

[Kasmir]

That's where I am too. I was so friggin' shocked and hurt when he left. But I've gotten over it. There are much more important things to be concerned about, like water shortages, AIDS in Africa, and the signing of beasts.

I agree. In particular, we have lots better use of our time than staging a fake retirement for a guy who walked out on a team and a city. Why bother?

 

[SyN65]

Oh God - to the people still hating on Vinatieri: He's a kicker, he can only make so much money. He ABSOLUTELY did the right and SMART thing to do. He went to a rival for MORE money, and not only that, but they have the talent to contend for a championship every year.

Money is extremely important, the people saying Vinatieri is dead to them really need to realize that he was a critical component of what the Patriots are known as today.

Without Vin. there may never be a dynasty.

Without Vin. we might not have won three super bowls.

Please realize how much he did for this team and wrap your head around the concept that money for players (and everyone) is imporant (despite what they may say - everyone wants to get paid).

 

[InRodWeRust]

How many things do you care about that you would quit on over millions of dollars?

Brady and lots of other players take "home count discounts" all the time when they could be making millions more elsewhere because they love playing with the Patriots.

Let me make this clear. I don't blame him for making as much money as he wants. If that's what you care about most then go for it. But if you don't care about wanting to stay with the Pats for less money then why should I care about you coming and retiring as a Pat? Why would Adam want to come back and all of a sudden care about being a Patriot again to retire as one?

 

[VJCPatriot]

The voting is closer than I thought it would be. I guess some people bear grudges or something. I think it's unrealistic in the FREE AGENT era to hold grudges for players moving on for more money. I see people waxing poetic, longing that we had PAID UP to retain Ty Law or Asante Samuel all the time. Heck, even the mediocre Ellis Hobbs still has his ardently nostalgic fans, despite what he did or failed to do in the 2007 Super Bowl. On the other hand all the venom seems reserved for AV. :confused2: As BB would say, "It is what it is."

 

[patriotsdynasty12189]

Hmmmm what if we had Vinatieri in SB42 when it was 4th and 13 from the 32ish...instead of throwing a bomb out of bounds.

He did the right thing he took the "hometown discount" for many years and the Colts offered him a luxurious contract and a dome to kick in. I was heartbroken but he did the thing that was best for him. And everyone here would take a 6 year deal worth 15 million than a 1 year deal for about 2 million anyday.

 

[SyN65]

Brady and lots of other players take "home count discounts" all the time when they could be making millions more elsewhere because they love playing with the Patriots.

Let me make this clear. I don't blame him for making as much money as he wants. If that's what you care about most then go for it. But if you don't care about wanting to stay with the Pats for less money then why should I care about you coming and retiring as a Pat? Why would Adam want to come back and all of a sudden care about being a Patriot again to retire as one?

Because Adam is one of the greatest Patriots of all time.

Taking a home town discount is done often in the NFL but Vin. is a KICKER. Not a top 3 QB in the league. Brady is the face of the franchise and is set as far as money goes. You can't compare a QB's salary to a kickers. Ugh.

 

[Patjew]

I agree. In particular, we have lots better use of our time than staging a fake retirement for a guy who walked out on a team and a city. Why bother?

Well yeah, that's also a good point.